Sanlam Cape Town Marathon called off hours before start over safety concerns

Mapaballo Borotho

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon was cancelled just hours before the start due to safety concerns.
Organisers said key logistics and safety protocols couldn’t be guaranteed.
The late cancellation has disappointed thousands of runners and raised questions about the event’s planning and risk management

The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has been abruptly cancelled due to safety reasons. The announcement was made by the event’s communications team early on Sunday morning.

The marathon, which was set to take place as part of a weekend-long running festival, will no longer proceed in its traditional live format.

Organisers said that while all preparations had been completed to host one of Africa’s premier marathon events, critical logistics and safety protocols could not be guaranteed in the final hours before the race.

“Due to safety reasons, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has been cancelled. Please do not report to the start, the event will not go ahead. Further updates will be communicated,” read the official statement.

Although no further details were provided beyond operational and safety constraints, the late cancellation has drawn disappointment from thousands of local and international runners who had travelled to Cape Town for the event.

More than 500 police officers were expected to participate across the 10km, 21km, and 42km races.

The Western Cape had the largest provincial representation with 109 runners, followed by Gauteng and the Eastern Cape with 85 each, and Head Office with 80. Other provinces included KwaZulu-Natal (76), Limpopo (63), Mpumalanga (32), North West (22), and the Northern Cape (18).

With thousands of runners and spectators expected from across South Africa and abroad, the cancellation poses major logistical and economic setbacks for the city’s hospitality and tourism sectors.